Aggressive Cockatoo

by Chad Martinez
(Denver, CO)

I have a new rose breasted cockatoo that has been very friendly but recently always wants to bite me if she is in or on top of her cage. She acts like she is scared of me. She will ruffle up her feathers and try to bite when I try to get her to step up. It is interesting because she will often step up for my partner who didnt even want anything to do with her at first because he is not much into animals but now she is often more friendly to him than me.

When he comes home she comes right over to him and even puts her foot up signaling she wants to step up on him. I dont like to use a glove because she gets scared. If she is any where but her cage she will step up for me and will rarely try biting me but if she is in the cage or on top she gets aggressive. What do I do to get her to stop biting and being so aggresive around her cage??

Chad, this is a common problem with people not familiar with parrot behavior. If she has a large cage, then her top perch may be higher than your eye level. The same with on top of the cage. I suggest you use a perch that is a little shorter when taking her out of cage or from the top. I had a Blue Front Amazon hen who did these same things, and she was a very gentle bird. Once she was higher than my eye level, she would bite when I went to get her out of cage or off the top. Parrots are flocking creatures, and the one with the highest status is the one on the highest branch in the wild. This flock leader will bite all comers to keep his/her place on the highest branch. When we have parrots in our homes, we become part of the flock, and parrots, being the highly intelligent creatures they are, proceed to try and become "king/queen of the hill". It is always best to keep perches at human eye level. I know this may not work for on top of a larger cage, so use the perch and request she step UP.

As for liking your human mate more than you, if she is, in fact, a female who is around 6-7 years old, she is coming into sexual maturity. The females will want to be with the human male in the family, and the male parrots will bond easier with human females. So you just may have a male and be sure name is either/or. This does not mean you have lost bird's love or anything, it just means you must understand where these behaviors come from in order to deal with them in a kind and firm way. Use the stick to get her out of cage and off the top, and I think you'll start seeing a less aggressive Too. I envy you the gorgeous pink and gray bird you have.

If she has not been seen by an Avian Vet yet, take her in for an exam. New birds tend to contract infections from being in pet stores or at the breeders' facilities. Once a year checkups are also highly recommended.